Premanufactured structures for constructing buildings

ABSTRACT

Premanufactured structures for constructing buildings comprise a construction system for an energy efficient multi-story building with standard single or mixed units. The multi-story building is constructed using premanufactured structures: non-weight bearing walls with finished exterior including all electrical, insulating, plumbing and communications components that are premanufactured at a site distant from a building site, and the non-weight bearings walls are attached to a floor and ceiling slabs, interfacing with each other to enclose units of the building; interior components that are premanufactured at a remote site to connect to inside portions of the non-weight bearing walls; and exterior components that are premanufactured at the remote site to attach to exterior surfaces of the building. Non-weight bearing walls, interior components, and exterior components are installed and connected together to provide the energy efficient multi-story building with units with different floor plans, and optionally, a retail level with underground parking.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/796,603 filed Jun. 8, 2010, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,950,132 on Feb.10, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference, in its entirety forany purpose.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the construction industry,and relates more specifically to a construction system and method forconstructing multi-story buildings including high-rise buildings usingpremanufactured structures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Conventional building construction methods have focused on the cost andefficiency advantages of having construction mostly manufactured at themanufacturing plants or factories. Current construction techniques thatuse manufactured housing structures include building modules of acertain room to be delivered to a construction site. Manufacturedhousing techniques offer some advantages over on-site constructionmethods. For example, construction for manufactured housing may becarried out year round regardless of the weather since manufacturingwithin a factory or plant can occur indoors. Manufactured housingmethods also require less time to complete construction since assemblylines are more efficient than requiring less streamlined field workon-site.

However, it is not always cheaper to manufacture the modules at amanufacturing plant or factory to be delivered to the construction sitefor further integration and finishing on-site. Handling of modules canbe extremely difficult, time-intensive and cost-prohibitive since thereare weight and craning issues. Shipping modular structures or spaces canraise transportation issues due to weight and space problems. Due tosizes of the modules, trucks may only fit one to two modules at the mostto deliver to the construction site. Lifting the modules to and from thetrucks require huge cranes at the manufacturing plants as well as at theconstruction sites.

On-site construction is conventionally preferred for building high-riseand multi-story buildings because manufactured housing techniques arenot adapted for building such building structures. Therefore, thepresent invention utilizes manustructures or premanufactured structuresto overcome the limitations of utilizing manufactured housing structuresor modules in constructing high-rise and multi-story buildings.

The advantages of the present invention is a construction system andmethod using as many repetitive and self-sustaining construction methodsand as many preassembled and prefinished components as possible.Preassembled and prefinished components are constructed in amanufacturing facility, transported to the construction site andpermanently installed within the structure in conjunction with othercomponents to create a fully finished, comfortable and weather-tightliving environment.

Standardizing the components and constructing them in a manufacturingfacility certainly provide the advantages of reduced materials waste,reduced energy costs and increased labor productivity. The initialassembly of the components may eventually become automated, butcurrently has the advantage of being carried out by less skilled laborunder the supervision of highly qualified managers. Given that assemblywill occur in an environmentally controlled setting, the quality of theproduct can be closely monitored. The potential for mold or materialsdamage due to exposure may be reduced by the present invention.

The present invention construction system and method results in rapidconstruction of multi-story buildings with institutional gradeconstruction quality by saving time and money that takes half the timeof conventional construction approaches for truly sustainablemulti-story buildings.

Therefore, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages andlimitations associated with multi-story modular construction andconventional construction methods to yield an energy efficient structurethat can be constructed at a highly accelerated schedule at a low costand continue to operate with very low maintenance expenses. The presentinvention is directed to a construction system and method for buildingstructures of three or more stories comprised of premanufactured,preassembled, and prefinished components requiring little or noadditional finishing after leaving the factory. The present inventionmay be used to build residential, hospital, institutional, or anymultistory buildings alike for creating an energy efficient,inexpensive, and flexible building for quick assembly for multiplepurposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present premanufactured structures for constructing buildingscomprises a construction system for an energy efficient multi-storybuilding with a plurality of units, the building being constructed usingpremanufactured structures comprising: a plurality of non-weight bearingwalls, the plurality of non-weight bearing walls with finished exteriorincluding all electrical, insulating, plumbing and communicationscomponents that are premanufactured at a site distant from a buildingsite, the plurality of non-weight bearings walls attached to a pluralityof floor and ceiling slabs and interfacing with each other to enclosethe plurality of units of the building; a plurality of interiorcomponents that are premanufactured at the site distant from thebuilding site to connect to inside portions of the non-weight bearingwalls; and a plurality of exterior components that are premanufacturedat the site distant from the building site to attach to exteriorsurfaces of the building; wherein the plurality of non-weight bearingwalls, the plurality of interior components, and the plurality ofexterior components are installed and connected together to provide theenergy efficient multi-story building with the plurality of units withdifferent floor plans, and optionally, a retail level with undergroundparking.

The premanufactured structures are used to construct multi-storybuildings with a plurality of units comprising a plurality of standardsingle units or a plurality of mixed units, the mixed units comprisingstudios and one to multiple bedrooms. The multi-story buildings can alsohave a combination of residential and retail levels.

The plurality of non-weight bearing walls comprises: premanufactured,prefinished and preassembled exterior window walls comprising windows,insulation and weather seal; premanufactured, prefinished andpreassembled end walls comprising electrical wiring, vapor barrier,insulation, studs for framing and sound barrier, and fire-rated interiorand exterior surfaces; premanufactured, prefinished and preassembledexterior walls comprising electrical wiring, vapor barrier, insulation,studs for framing and sound barrier, and fire-rated interior andexterior surfaces; premanufactured, prefinished, preassembled andprewired demising walls comprising electrical wiring, insulation, studsfor framing and sound barrier, and fire-rated interior and exteriorsurfaces; premanufactured, prefinished, preassembled, prebundled andpreplumbed interior plumbing walls comprising electrical andcommunications connections for adjacent walls, electrical service panel,kitchen and bath wall plumbing, fans, and toilet mounting support with awater resistant, interior surface; and premanufactured, prefinished andpreassembled exterior plumbing walls comprising electrical wiring, vaporbarrier, insulation, plumbing chase, studs for framing, and sound andair barrier with a water resistant and fire-rated exterior surface;wherein the non-weight bearing walls are attached to a plurality offloor and ceiling slabs at top and bottom portions of the non-weightbearing walls and interfacing with each other to enclose the pluralityof units in providing the energy efficient multi-story building.

The plurality of interior components comprises: precast, preformed andprefabricated bathroom floor pans wherein preformed recess of theplurality of floor and ceiling slabs for each unit receives the bathroomfloor pans; preassembled, prewired and prefinished entry doors whereinthe entry doors are installed between at least two non-weight bearingwalls and attached to the plurality of floor and ceiling slabs at topand bottom portions of the entry doors; premanufactured, configurable,removable and adjustable interior partitions installed on interior sidesof the non-weight bearing walls of the plurality of units for separatingshowers, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and other living areas of theeach unit; and premanufactured, prefinished and preassembled kitchen andbathroom components installed on interior plumbing walls of theplurality of units; wherein the bathroom floor pans are installed intothe preformed recess before installation of the interior plumbing wallsand exterior plumbing walls; and wherein the entry doors, the interiorpartitions, the kitchen and bathroom components are installed afterinstallation of the interior and exterior plumbing walls but beforeinstallation of the plurality of exterior components.

The kitchen and bathroom components comprise: premanufactured,prefinished and preassembled kitchen unit with cabinets, countertops,preinstalled plumbing, plumbing connections, electrical wiring, ventducting, and exhaust fans and light fixtures; premanufactured,prefinished and preassembled bathroom vanity with at least one sink andpreinstalled plumbing; and premanufactured and preassembled cabinetswith integral exhaust fans and light fixtures; wherein thepremanufactured, prefinished and preassembled kitchen units, thebathroom vanities and the cabinets are installed on inner sides of theinterior plumbing walls after installation of the interior and exteriorplumbing walls, the entry doors, and the interior partitions but beforeinstallation of the plurality of exterior components.

The plurality of exterior components comprises roof components andprefabricated, prebundled exterior walkways with preassembled sectionsto support railing and decking for rapid installation. The roofcomponents are comprised of premanufactured, prefinished andpreassembled parapet walls comprising studs for framing, fire-ratedexterior surface with corrugated siding, and integral flashing toprevent water penetration, the roof components are installed on roofslabs on top of the building after installation of the plurality ofinterior components but before assembly of the exterior walkways.

The present invention further utilizes recycled products and materialsand incorporates alternative energy sources and methods of environmentalcontrol. Water collection and retention, and use of solar panels forheat and power are also incorporated in the manner best-suited for thelocal conditions and energy efficiency.

The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of theinvention will be more readily understood upon consideration of thefollowing detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate various exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a multi-story building according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a building plan with various floor plans of thebuilding of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side elevation view of the multi-story building ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side sectional view of an exemplary portion of themulti-story building of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates a floor plan of an exemplary portion of the variousfloor plans of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 illustrates various embodiments of a single unit for the buildingof FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 illustrates the structural framing of the multi-story building ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 8 illustrates the structural framing for the floor and ceilingassembly before the floor and ceiling slabs are assembled into place.

FIG. 9 illustrates the structural framing for the floor and ceilingassembly after the floor and ceiling slabs are assembled into place.

FIGS. 10A-B illustrate a components plan of an exemplary studio unit forvarious walls and components before and after assembly.

FIGS. 11A-B illustrate a components plan of two different exemplarytwo-bedroom units for various walls and components before and afterassembly.

FIGS. 12A-F illustrate a perspective view of different phases ofassembling an exemplary studio unit.

FIGS. 13A-F illustrate a perspective view of different phases ofassembling a two-bedroom unit.

FIGS. 14A-G illustrate side and top views of the exterior window wallassemblies for various units.

FIGS. 15-16 illustrate sectional details of structural members forattaching exterior window walls to the structural frame and slab.

FIGS. 17A-B illustrate cross-sectional details of interior partitionsand bedroom doors before and after attaching to the floor and ceilingslab.

FIGS. 18A-B illustrate cross-sectional details of interior partitionsand bedroom doors before and after attaching to the floor and ceilingslab.

FIG. 19 illustrates cross-sectional details of demising walls attachedto the floor and ceiling slab.

FIGS. 20A-C illustrate sectional details of structural members at a headportion before attaching the demising wall to the floor and ceilingslab.

FIG. 21 illustrates cross-sectional details of a demising wall beforeattaching to the floor and ceiling slab.

FIGS. 22A-C illustrate sectional details of steps to secure the demisingwalls to the floor and ceiling slab.

FIG. 23 illustrates cross-sectional details of additional steps tosecure the demising walls to the floor and ceiling slab.

FIG. 24 illustrates cross-sectional details of additional steps tosecure the demising walls to the floor and ceiling slab.

FIGS. 25A-B illustrate cross-sectional details of a demising wallinterfacing with an exterior window wall and entry door assembly afterattaching the exterior wall to the floor and ceiling slab.

FIGS. 26A-B illustrate top and side views of a bathroom floor pansecurely attached to a recessed floor and ceiling slab.

FIG. 27 illustrates cross-sectional details of a utility wall above andbeneath the floor and ceiling slab for interior plumbing assembly.

FIGS. 28A-B illustrate a side view of the utility wall without bath andkitchen components in place as well as the utility wall with bath andkitchen components in place.

FIG. 29 illustrates cross-sectional details of utility walls attached tothe floor and ceiling slab.

FIG. 30 illustrates cross-sectional details of utility walls beforeattaching to the floor and ceiling slabs.

FIG. 31 illustrates cross-sectional details of a utility wall beforeattaching to the exterior sides of units.

FIGS. 32A-B illustrate cross-sectional details of a utility wall afterattaching to the exterior sides of units.

FIGS. 33A-C illustrate cross-sectional details of interior partitions,entry doors and assembly of bathroom components.

FIGS. 34A-B illustrate a top view of an entry way with utility walls anddemising walls installed.

FIGS. 35A-D illustrate a side view of an entry way and attachment to thewalls and floor slab.

FIG. 36 illustrates cross-sectional details of end walls beforeattaching to the exterior wall panels.

FIGS. 37A-B illustrate cross-sectional details of end walls of FIG. 36after attaching to the floor and ceiling slabs and exterior wall panels.

FIG. 38 illustrates cross-sectional details of installing a parapet wallcomponent over a roof.

FIG. 39 illustrates cross-sectional details of installing a parapet wallcomponent over a roof.

FIG. 40 illustrates cross-sectional details of installing a garden roofdrain next to the parapet wall component.

FIG. 41 illustrates cross-sectional details of a complete garden roofassembly.

FIG. 42 illustrates cross-sectional details of constructing exteriorcommon walkways.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Before describing the invention and the figures, some of the terminologyshould be clarified. Please note that the terms and phrases may haveadditional definitions and/or examples throughout the specification.Where otherwise not specifically defined, words, phrases, and acronymsare given their ordinary meaning in the art. Exemplary embodiments maybe better understood with reference to the drawings, but theseembodiments are not intended to be of a limiting nature.

As used herein, “exterior window wall” refers to a pre-fabricated andpre-bundled wall unit with pre-assembled sections with insulatedaluminum and glass exterior, unitized window wall system. The exteriorwindow wall is an aluminum and glass panel with an operable window unit.The exterior window wall may include an integral sliding door andrailing to create an open wall with a flush ‘Juliet’ balcony. A firsttype of exterior window wall is used in a straight configuration. Asecond type of exterior window wall is used in corner units locatedadjacently to a building's corners. A third type of exterior windowwall, also referred to as “the exterior wall panel” that is apre-fabricated and pre-bundled wall unit with pre-assembled sectionswith insulated aluminum and glass exterior, unitized window wall systemand a fixed opaque window assembly positioned directly adjacent to unitdoors at the ends of a building. All of the exterior window walls arefully weather-sealed and able to provide at least an R-value of 20. AnR-value refers to a measure of thermal resistance that is typically usedin the building industry.

As used herein, “exterior wall” refers to a pre-fabricated, pre-bundled,and non-utility wall unit with pre-assembled sections that includeselectrical wiring, vapor barrier and thermal insulation with a finishedinterior surface. The exterior wall may include plumbing for sprinklers.

As used herein, “end wall” refers to a pre-fabricated, pre-bundled, andnon-plumbing wall unit with pre-assembled sections that includeselectrical wiring, vapor barrier and thermal insulation with a finishedinterior surface. The end wall is very similar to the exterior wallexcept that the end wall has a significantly different configuration,typically used as the end wall for a building. The end wall may includeplumbing for sprinklers.

As used herein, “demising wall” refers to a pre-fabricated, pre-bundled,and pre-finished wall unit with pre-assembled sections that includeselectrical wiring and may include electrical radiant heat with anapproximate length of 20 feet. The demising wall may include plumbingfor sprinklers.

As used herein, “utility wall” refers to a pre-fabricated andpre-bundled wall with pre-assembled sections that includes kitchen andbath wall plumbing, a unit's electrical service panel, exhaustvents/fans, and any associated electrical and communicationsdistribution wiring for the adjacent walls. The utility wall's plumbingincludes the kitchen and bath supply, waste lines and vent piping. Theutility wall has a finished interior surface and contains pre-installedexhaust vents/fans and vent trims. The utility wall further includesthermal insulation, and encapsulates a unit's plumbing chase. Theutility wall has a finished exterior surface, and may include fire-ratedwall board and insulation to act as integral air and vapor barrier.

As used herein, “parapet wall” refers to a pre-manufactured,pre-finished, and pre-assembled wall with approximately 16 to 18 feet atthe top portion of the exterior wall that connects to a roof slab andaccommodates a building's roofing and garden roof conditions.

As used herein, “entry door,” refers to a pre-fabricated, pre-bundledentry door unit with operable re-light panel, inner and outer frames,and all associated door hardware with pre-assembled sections thatincludes electrical wiring and may include plumbing for sprinklers asrapid installation and to be set in place at the final exterior wall ornext to the utility walls. A threshold is provided for installationafter the entry door is in place.

As used herein, “exterior walkway” refers to a pre-fabricated,pre-bundled walkway with pre-assembled sections that supports railingand decking for rapid installation.

As used herein, “bathroom floor pan” refers to a single pre-cast andpre-fabricated unit with a sloped shower floor and integral drain thatis set in place. The bathroom floor pan is constructed for easy deliveryand rapid installation.

As used herein, “kitchen unit” refers to a pre-fabricated andpre-assembled kitchen unit that includes cabinets, preinstalledplumbing, plumbing connections, electrical wiring, vent ducting,countertops, at least one sink, exhaust vents/fans and light fixtures tobe installed in the kitchen on the utility walls.

As used herein, “bathroom vanity” refers to at least one sink andpreinstalled plumbing to be installed in the bathroom on the utilitywalls.

As used herein, “cabinets” refers to premanufactured and preassembledcabinets with integral exhaust fans and light fixtures to be installedin the kitchen and bathroom on the utility walls.

Referring now in detail to the drawing figures, FIG. 1 illustrates anexemplary embodiment of a building 100 built according to theconstruction system and method as described in the present invention.FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary five-story building 100 that is part ofa development including several residential buildings 101, 102, 103 witha plaza or retail floor 110 at street level for commercial activity andsecure, below-grade parking underneath the building 100. All of theresidential buildings 101, 102, 103 in this development are to beconstructed using the same construction system and method of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a building plan 200 with four variations of floorplans 200A-D of the exemplary building 100 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG.2, all of the buildings share common exterior walkways. FIG. 3illustrates a side elevation view of an exemplary six-story building.This exemplary building comprises first through fifth levels ofresidential units 210, 220, 230, 240, 250 above a main, retail floor 110for commercial development at the street level and a level ofbelow-grade parking (shown in FIG. 4). FIG. 4 illustrates another sidesectional view of an exemplary portion of the multi-story building ofFIG. 1 with an approximate height of sixty-five feet. As shown in FIGS.3 and 4, the main, retail floor 110 for commercial activity is shownwith residential levels 210, 220, 230, 240, 250 above the retail floor110. Every residential level from first through fifth levels 210, 220,230, 240, 250 is identical in building floor plan and configuration.However, the present invention is not limited to identical buildingfloor plan and configuration for every floor and allows the numberbedrooms in any given residential unit and the layout of the units onany given floor to be modified by simple relocation of a demising wall.These modifications to the layout of the units or number of bedroomsalso do not require changing out of the window wall components. However,depending on the specific circumstances, there may be additionalmodifications to the exterior walls to accommodate different floor plansand layout of the units for various floor levels. A parking level 10 atbelow-grade 50 is shown for parking cars for commercial and residentialuse.

FIG. 5 illustrates a floor plan 200A from FIG. 2 of the building plan200. The floor plan 200E of the building plan 200 illustrates four,different layout types of units 200E-1 to 200E-7. FIG. 6 illustratesexemplary floor plans 300A-J of the different types of units and layoutvariations to be implemented into any floor level 210, 220, 230, 240,250 of a multi-story building 100. An efficiency floor plan 300A isillustrated in the first exemplary unit type. A studio floor plan 300Bis illustrated in the second exemplary unit type. A one-bedroom plan300C, as possible corner units, is illustrated in the third exemplaryunit type. A two-bedroom efficiency floor plan 300D, as possible units,is illustrated in the fourth exemplary unit type. A two-bedroom plan300E, as possible end units, is illustrated in the fifth exemplary unittype. In 300F, a two-bedroom with two bathrooms is illustrated in thesixth exemplary unit type. A three-bedroom with three beds 300G, aspossible end units, is illustrated in the seventh exemplary unit type. Atwo-bedroom with two bathroom floor plan 300H on a corner is illustratedin the eighth exemplary unit type. A three-bedroom with two bathroomfloor plan 300J on a corner is illustrated in the ninth exemplary unittype.

The construction of the multi-story building 100 is described in detailfor the load bearing assembly of the structural frame 400, and floor andceiling slabs 450. More specifically, FIG. 7 illustrates the structuralframe 400 of the exemplary multi-story building 100 of FIG. 1. Thestructural frame 400 material of the present invention is preferablysteel even though other materials with similar strength and durabilitymay be used for constructing the building 100. The structural frame 400can also be made out of concrete or concrete masonry unit. Therefore,utilizing steel or concrete for the structural frame 400 is not meant tobe limiting. Vertical columns 405 and lateral bracing are used for thisload bearing assembly of the structural frame 400. Structural steelframing occurs only at the perimeter of the building's slabs. Allprimary steel framing members are positioned exterior to the buildingfor providing support. Any number of structural framing can be deliveredonly to be limited in size by shipping or trucking restrictions. Thesteel framing 400 is delivered to the site in as-complete-of-an-assemblyas possible. Vertical columns 405 are commonly hoisted by crane andbolted and braced into place. The steel frame 400 only occurs above theterrace level 210. All of the perimeter steel framing 400 for thebuilding 100 is placed prior to pouring any of the building's slabs 450(as shown in FIGS. 8-9) above the terrace level 210. The horizontalsupport columns 410A-E are used to hoist and support the building'sslabs 450 at their finished elevations which will be described in moredetail in FIGS. 8-9.

For preconstruction and excavation prior to building the structuralframe 400, conventional methods of surveying, excavation and shoring maybe utilized that are appropriate for the existing soil/ground conditionsand preferred depth required for excavation. For example, deeperexcavation requires shoring and possible below-grade waterproofing.Shoring may be constructed using concrete or wood depending on the bestoption for the area. Locating, trenching and extending the existingutilities to the new structure utilize conventional methods ofconstruction and occur in conjunction with excavation and constructionof the foundation.

For foundation construction, including basements, if applicable, footingis first applied and spread and matted evenly. Any forming, reinforcing,and casting of footings and foundation walls utilize conventionalmethods of concrete construction. For basements formwork and reinforcingof below-grade walls may utilize conventional slip-form concreteconstruction. Slip-form construction refers to a method by which largetowers or bridges are built from concrete by pouring concrete into aform and moving the hardened concrete. Typically, slip-form constructionminimizes the materials used in formwork and labor, and reduces theamount of concrete waste produced. Slip-form construction also allowsfor the foundation walls to be erected with the rapid speed with minimalamount of concrete waste. Unlike other concrete methods, slip-formconstruction does not produce over-shot concrete structures and requiresvery little clean-up or hauling away of waste concrete product. All siteutilities will be extended to the building's service points while stagedand protected for future connections. Similarly for elevator and stairfoundation, excavation and forming of the foundation for the elevatorand stair systems are carried out in conjunction with the rest of thebuilding's excavation and forming. Formwork is properly placed,reinforcement added, and the foundation concrete may be placed andfinished.

For concrete slab on grade construction, conventional constructionpractices are utilized. A slab-at-grade may occur either at the basementlevel or at grade level if no basement is built. Utilities are extendedso that they are 6 to 8 feet above the top of the slab either at thebasement level or at grade level. Once this step is finished, the stepsof placing the backfill, providing compaction, installing gravel,positioning vapor barrier if required for local geotechnical review andsecuring the slab reinforcement to be followed by placing and finishingthe concrete slab. If a particular design incorporates below-gradeparking, the step of constructing a ramp is to be implemented.Alternatively, the step of constructing a ramp can occur after theslab-on-grade is positioned into place. Typically, the ramp's formworkis placed and followed by the step of securing and installing of theslab reinforcement. After these steps, the ramp's concrete slab may beplaced and finished.

Assuming that only one level of parking is constructed below-grade, thesteps of positioning the shoring and forming the slab at-grade level arecarried out after the basement slab and ramp are placed. Afterwards, thesteps of securing slab reinforcement, any block-outs, or sleevesrequired for the building's mechanical, plumbing, electrical,communications, site planter drainage, irrigation, parking controlsystems and electrical connections for security and lighting areimplemented. The steps of pouring, finishing and sealing concrete arethen implemented. If commercial or retail level is being considered forthe at-grade level, then the concrete slab at the second story is placedby conventional shoring and forming methods.

For constructing a plaza 110 for retail at the street level with anexterior courtyard, a residential terrace may be constructed at thelevel immediately above the retail level as shown in FIGS. 1, 3-4.Conventional methods for cast-in-place concrete construction are usedfor all construction up to, and including the terrace level slab.Cast-in-place concrete construction has been in use for foundations,slabs-on-ground, structural support such as walls, beams, columns,floors, roofs, large portions of bridges, pavements, and otherinfrastructures by transporting concrete in its unhardened state to thesite for placement in forms. Similar to previous conventional methods,the step of placing slab reinforcement, any block-outs or sleevesrequired for the building's mechanical, plumbing, electrical andcommunications systems as well as any walkway drains, and electricalconnections for security and lighting are implemented. Oncereinforcement and block-outs are placed, concrete can be placed,finished and sealed. All columns for the plaza at the street/retaillevel 110 utilize cast-in-place concrete construction. The reinforcementfor the columns is placed first. Thereafter, the column formwork isplaced before pouring the concrete for forming the columns. These stepsare carried out prior to erecting any shoring for the terrace slab 205.Shoring is then placed to support any decking made of wood or othersimilar materials and other formwork for the terrace slab 205 at thesecond story level above the plaza/retail level 110. This step isfollowed by the step of placing the slab reinforcement, any block-outsor sleeves required for the building's mechanical, plumbing, electricaland communications systems as well as for any courtyard drains,irrigation supply lines and electrical connections for security andlighting. Once the reinforcement and block-outs are placed, the terraceslab of concrete 205 is placed, finished and sealed.

The next sequence of steps involves installation of elevators andstairs. The pre-fabricated, pre-bundled stairs with pre-assembledsections is delivered to the site. Lower sections of the stairs are setand anchored into place simultaneously with the placement of the streetlevel slab or at-grade slab 430. The logical installation of the stairswill track closely with the installation of the building's verticalcolumns 405. Installation of the structural framing for the elevatorenclosure will track in conjunction with installation of the rest of thebuilding's vertical columns 405.

FIGS. 8-9 illustrate the steps of forming the floor and ceiling slabs450 and placing the floor and ceiling slabs 450 at each level by liftingup the slabs 450A-E and securing the slabs 450A-E at its appropriateelevation level. The floor and ceiling slabs 450 above the plaza/retaillevel 110 utilize a method of construction wherein the slab formwork isreused. Determining whether the slabs are poured one-on-top-of-the-otherand hoisted to their appropriate elevation, or the roof slab is placedfirst and then the formwork is lowered after the placement of each slab,depends on a general contractor's decision based on the local conditionsand logistics of each site. The preferred method is pouring the slabs450 one-on-top-of-the-other which are then hoisted to their appropriateelevation level. In the preferred method, a bond braking solution isapplied to the surface of the lower slab between each pour of the slabto ensure adequate separation between the slabs 450A-E. Each floor slab450A-D will use steel channels as an edge form. These channels are castinto the slab 450A-D to create the finished edge of the slab 450A-D.

Upon constructing the structural steel columns, the casting of thetypical floor and roof slabs may begin. If using the plaza/retail level110 slab as a base, the building's typical floor slabs and the roof slabare poured one on-top-of the other, using the slab 450 below as theformwork for the slab 450 above. All of the slabs 450 will remainstacked on the plaza/retail level 110 surface until the slabs 450 havecured and reached the desired design strength. Upon curing, the slabs110 are ready to be hoisted or lifted up to their finished elevation viaa series of strand jacks mounted on the load bearing steel framing. Uponcreating all of the slabs 450, each of the floor and ceiling slabs 450will then be lifted or hoisted up to the appropriate elevation level viastrand jacks that are mounted on each horizontal column 410A-410E sothat every slab 450 is securely positioned and attached at every levelof the building so that a plurality of non-weight bearing walls 505,520, 535, 510, 515 (as described later), a plurality of interiorcomponents 555, 525, 562, 565, 567, 568, 559, 557, 571, 570, 573 (asdescribed later) and a plurality of exterior components 730, 800, 803,815 (as described later) are installed at every level in between a floorslab and a ceiling slab 450A-E at each level.

The present construction system and method of constructing energyefficient multi-story buildings with a plurality of units comprises:premanufacturing a plurality of non-weight bearing walls, the pluralityof non-weight bearing walls with finished exterior including allelectrical, insulating, plumbing and communications components;premanufacturing a plurality of interior components adapted to connectto the plurality of non-weight bearing walls; premanufacturing aplurality of exterior components adapted to attach to exterior surfacesof the multi-story building; transporting the premanufactured andprefinished plurality of non-weight bearing walls, the plurality ofinterior components, and the plurality of exterior components to abuilding site; preparing a foundation for the multi-story building atthe building site for providing support to a plurality of load-bearingstructural columns; constructing the plurality of load-bearingstructural columns of the building at the building site; forming floorand ceiling slabs to attach to the plurality of structural columns ateach level of the building; lifting each of the floor and ceiling slabsto attach to each of the plurality of structural columns at the eachlevel while installing stairs and elevators to attach to the pluralityof structural columns and the floor and ceiling slabs; installing theplurality of non-weight bearing walls and the plurality of interiorcomponents between the floor and ceiling slabs at the each level of thebuilding; installing the plurality of exterior components on exteriorsurfaces of the building; and installing stairs and elevators to attachto the plurality of structural columns and the floor and ceiling slabs;wherein the plurality of non-weight bearing walls, the plurality ofinterior components, and the plurality of exterior components areassembled and installed to provide the energy efficient multi-storybuilding with the plurality of units with different floor plans andoptionally a retail level with underground parking.

Using the first method of construction, the step of installing theplurality of non-weight bearing walls, the plurality of interiorcomponents and the plurality of exterior components for a plurality ofstandard single units comprises: installing exterior window walls onexterior sides of the plurality of standard single units and partiallyenclosing each of the plurality of standard single units; installingdemising walls in a perpendicular direction interfacing with theexterior window walls and partially enclosing the each of the pluralityof standard single units; installing utility walls on the interior sidesof the plurality of standard single units in a perpendicular directioninterfacing with the demising walls and connecting with the demisingwalls to completely enclose the each of the plurality of standard singleunits; installing end walls on the exterior sides of the plurality ofstandard single units at ends of the building in a parallel direction asthe demising walls and completely enclosing the each of the plurality ofstandard single units located at the ends of the building; installingbathroom floor pans into a preformed recess within the floor and ceilingslabs in the each of the plurality of standard single units; connectingutilities and plumbing fixtures to the utility walls; installing entrydoors adjacently positioned by the utility walls; installing interiorpartitions within the each of the plurality of standard single units forseparating rooms and configuring the each of the plurality of standardsingle units; installing kitchen and bathroom components to the utilitywalls; installing roof components on top of the building; and assemblingexterior walkways depending on the building's configuration.

An alternative method may include lifting the top or roof slab 450E(also referred to as a first ceiling slab) all the way to the top atroof of the building. Immediately after securing the first ceiling slab450E, a plurality of non-weight bearing walls 520, 535, 510, 515, exceptfor the exterior window walls 505, (as described later) and some of theplurality of interior components 555, 559, 557, 571, 570, 573 (asdescribed later), including the bathroom floor pans 555, kitchen andbathroom components 559, 557, 570, 571, 573 are installed on a secondslab 450D beneath the first slab 450E that is not yet lifted andsecurely attached to the first slab 450E. Upon installation of theplurality of non-weight bearing walls 520, 535, 510, 515 (as describedlater) and some of the plurality of interior components 555, 559, 557,571, 570, 573 (as described later), and upon loading of the exteriorwindow walls 505 and rest of the plurality of interior components 525,562, 565, 567, 568 on the second slab 450D below, the second slab 450Dwith the plurality of non-weight bearing walls 505, 520, 535, 510, 515,the second slab 450D is lifted or hoisted up under the first slab at thetop 450E and securely attached to the first slab 450E to make the topfloor or level.

Upon securely attaching the second slab 450D to the first slab 450E, theloaded exterior window walls 505 and the rest of the plurality ofinterior components 525, 562, 565, 567, 568, including the entry doors525 and interior partitions 562, 565, 567, 568 are installed to thefirst slab 450E to complete the top level of the building. A pluralityof non-weight bearing walls 520, 535, 510, 515, except for the exteriorwindow walls 505 and some of the plurality of interior components 555,559, 557, 571, 570, 573, including the bathroom floor pans 555, kitchenand bathroom components 559, 557, 570, 571, 573 are again installed on athird slab 450C beneath the second slab 450D. Similar to the previouslydescribed process for constructing the top level, the exterior windowwalls 505 and the rest of the plurality of interior components 525, 562,565, 567, 568 are loaded on the third slab 450C below, and the thirdslab 450C with the plurality of non-weight bearing walls and theplurality of interior components, whether installed or loaded, is liftedup or hoisted up under the second slab 450D to make a level beneath thetop level. The exterior window walls 505 and the rest of the pluralityof interior components 525, 562, 565, 567, 568 are installed to thesecond slab 450D after the third slab 450C is securely attached to thesecond slab 450D. This process of installing and loading the pluralityof non-weight bearing walls and the plurality of the interior componentsis repeated until all the levels of the building is completed. Aplurality of exterior components 730, 800, 803, 815 (as described later)are installed on exterior surfaces of the building after the pluralityof non-weight bearing walls and plurality of interior components arecompletely installed.

A method of constructing an energy efficient multi-story building with aplurality of units comprises: (a) premanufacturing a plurality ofnon-weight bearing walls, the plurality of non-weight bearing walls withfinished exterior including all electrical, insulating, plumbing andcommunications components; (b) premanufacturing a plurality of interiorcomponents adapted to connect to the plurality of non-weight bearingwalls; (c) premanufacturing a plurality of exterior components adaptedto attach to exterior surfaces of the multi-story building; (d)transporting the premanufactured and prefinished plurality of non-weightbearing walls, the plurality of interior components, and the pluralityof exterior components to a building site; (e) preparing a foundationfor the multi-story building at the building site for providing supportto a plurality of load-bearing structural columns; (f) constructing theplurality of load-bearing structural columns of the building at thebuilding site; (g) forming a plurality of floor and ceiling slabs toattach to the plurality of structural columns at each level of thebuilding; (h) lifting a first slab from the plurality of floor andceiling slabs up to top of the building; (i) installing the plurality ofnon-weight bearing walls other than exterior window walls and some ofthe plurality of interior components on a second slab located beneaththe first ceiling slab; (j) loading the exterior window walls and restof the plurality of interior components on the second slab; (k) liftingthe second slab with the plurality of non-weight bearing walls and theplurality of interior components whether installed or loaded immediatelybeneath the first ceiling slab; (l) attaching securely the second slabto the plurality of structural columns located immediately below thefirst slab to form a top level; (m) installing the exterior windowwalls, the rest of the plurality of interior components to the firstslab to complete the top level; (n) repeating steps (i) through (m)until all levels of the building are completed; (o) installing aplurality of exterior components on exterior surfaces of the building;and (p) installing stairs and elevators to attach to the plurality ofstructural columns and the floor and ceiling slabs; wherein theplurality of non-weight bearing walls, the plurality of interiorcomponents, and the plurality of exterior components are assembled andinstalled to provide the energy efficient multi-story building with theplurality of units with different floor plans and, optionally, a retaillevel with underground parking.

Using the second method of construction, the step of installing theplurality of non-weight bearing walls, the plurality of interiorcomponents, and the plurality of exterior components for a plurality ofstandard single units comprises: (a) installing demising walls andpartially enclosing the each of the plurality of standard single units;(b) installing utility walls on the interior sides of the plurality ofstandard single units in a perpendicular direction interfacing with thedemising walls and connecting with the demising walls to partiallyenclose the each of the plurality of standard single units; (c)installing end walls on the exterior sides of the plurality of standardsingle units at ends of the building in a parallel direction as thedemising walls and substantially enclosing the each of the plurality ofstandard single units located at the ends of the building; (d)installing bathroom floor pans into a preformed recess within the floorand ceiling slabs in the each of the plurality of standard single units;(e) installing kitchen and bathroom components to the utility walls; (f)connecting utilities and plumbing fixtures to the utility walls; (g)loading exterior window walls, entry doors and interior partitions onthe second floor slab before securely attaching the second slab to theplurality of structural columns located immediately below the firstslab; (h) installing the exterior window walls on exterior sides of theplurality of standard single units and to the first slab completelyenclosing each of the plurality of standard single units after securelyattaching the second slab to the plurality of structural columns locatedimmediately below first slab; (i) installing the entry doors adjacentlypositioned by the utility walls and to the first slab after securelyattaching the second slab to the plurality of structural columns locatedimmediately below the first slab; (j) installing the interior partitionswithin the each of the plurality of standard single units for separatingrooms and configuring the each of the plurality of standard singleunits, and to the first slab after securely attaching the second slab tothe plurality of structural columns located immediately below the firstslab to complete the top level; (k) repeating steps (a) through (j)until all levels of the building are completed; (l) installing roofcomponents on top of the building; and (m) assembling exterior walkwaysdepending on the building's configuration.

Upon suspending the slab 450A-E at its appropriate elevation level, eachslab 450A-E is bolted to the vertical columns 405 which are load bearingsteel framing. For example, the first floor and ceiling slab 450A isheld and supported by the vertical columns 405 at the first horizontalsupport column 410A. The second floor and ceiling slab 450B are held andsupported by the vertical column 405 at the second horizontal supportcolumn 410B. The third floor and ceiling slab 450C is held and supportedby the vertical columns 405 at the third horizontal support column 410C.The fourth floor slab 450D is held and supported by the vertical columns405 at the fourth horizontal support column 410D. The fifth floor slab450E is held and supported by the vertical columns 405 at the fifthhorizontal support column 410E. Conventional steel reinforcing bars canbe used in the slabs 450A-E. The span of the slab 450A-E is set at adistance that can be supported within the depth and width of the slab450A-E. Upon placing the slabs 450A-E at appropriate elevation levels,they will fully support their spans without the use of supplementalbeams or columns. Electric radiant heat coils can be incorporated intothe concrete floor and ceiling slabs 450 to heat each unit.

The structural, floor and ceiling slabs 450A-E act as the finished floorslab for the unit above and the finished ceiling slab for the unitbelow. The floor and ceiling of the units are exposed surfaces ofconcrete slabs 450A-E. Acoustical isolation at the slabs 450A-E isachieved by requiring the tenant to provide throw rugs or other approvedfloor covering over minimal area of the slab 450A-E.

FIGS. 10A-B illustrate a components plan of an exemplary studio unit300B for various walls and components before and after assembly. Asshown in FIGS. 10A-B of the exemplary studio unit 300B, the studio unit300B is enclosed by the exterior window walls 505B, exterior window wallpanels 505G, demising walls 520A-B, utility wall 535. The studio unit300B further includes interior components such as a kitchen unit 570,bathroom floor pan 555, bathroom vanity 557, toilet 559, shower base 560with first and second bathroom wall finishes 563A-B and its first andsecond shower partitions 562A-B, and reconfigurable partition 565separating the bathroom from the kitchen area. The exterior window wallpanels 505G are used as fillers and positioned in between the exteriorwindow walls 505B. On the opposing side of the exterior window walls505A-B in a parallel direction, the utility wall 535 is installed forconnecting the bathroom and kitchen components. The entry door 525 ispositioned at the right lower-hand corner of the utility plumbing walls535 for easy entry into the studio unit 300B.

Each of the demising walls 520A-B is positioned directly opposite ofeach other in a parallel direction to enclose the studio unit 300B. Thebathroom floor pan 555 contains a toilet 559, a bathroom vanity 557, anda shower base 560. The bathroom floor pan 555 is positioned in theleft-hand corner against the utility wall 535 and the second demisingwall 520B next to the kitchen island 575. The shower 566 (later shown inFIG. 26) is partitioned off by the first and second shower partitions562A-B, and first and second bathroom wall finishes 563A-B. The bathroomis partitioned off by the sliding bathroom door 558 attached to thesecond shower partition 562B and reconfigurable partition 565 on thelateral side of the bathroom. Immediately adjacent to the bathroom, thekitchen unit 570 is installed against the utility wall 535 that has astove 572, a kitchen sink 571, and cabinets (not shown in FIG. 10).Other internal furniture such as a bed, desks, chairs, dresser, coffeetable, and couches may be placed anywhere.

FIGS. 11A-B illustrate component plans of an exemplary two-bedroom unitfor various walls and components before and after assembly. As shown inFIGS. 11A-B of the exemplary two-bedroom unit 300E, the two-bedroom unit300E is enclosed by exterior window walls 505A-C, exterior window wallpanel 505G, demising walls 520A-B, and utility wall 535. The two-bedroomunit 300E further includes interior components such as a kitchen unit570, bathroom floor pan 555, bathroom vanity 557, toilet 559, showerbase 560 with bathroom wall finishes 563A-B and its first and secondshower partitions 562A-B, reconfigurable glass partition 567 thatseparates the bedroom from the living room, and reconfigurablepartitions 565A-C further separating each bedroom from the other. Eachof the bedrooms can be closed off by closing the slidable bedroom doors568A-B attached to the reconfigurable partitions 565A-B. Similar to thestudio unit, the exterior window wall panel 505G is used as a filler andpositioned in between the first and second exterior window walls 505A-B.

On the opposing side of the exterior window walls 505A-C and exteriorwindow wall panel 505G in a parallel direction, the utility wall 535 isinstalled for connecting the bathroom and kitchen components. Anexterior wall 510 is also installed adjacent to the utility walls 535after the first entry door 525. The exterior wall 510 encloses a portionof the first bedroom of the two-bedroom unit 300E. The entry door 525 ispositioned and installed at the corner of the utility walls 535 for easyentry into the unit 300E. An entry door 525 may also be located in theexterior wall 510.

The demising wall 520A-B is positioned directly between the units at theend of the exterior window walls 505A-B in a parallel direction toenclose the two-bedroom unit 300E. The bathroom floor pan 555 contains atoilet 559, a bathroom vanity 557, and a shower base 560. The bathroomfloor pan 555 is positioned and installed in a pre-fabricated recess (asshown in later figures), wall finishes 563A-B in the middle area againstthe utility wall 535 next to the kitchen unit 570 with the kitchen sink571, stove 572, countertop, and cabinets (as shown in later figures).The shower base 560 is partitioned off by the first and second showerpartitions 562A-B. The bathroom is partitioned off by the slidingbathroom door 558 that is attached to the second shower partition 562Band reconfigurable partitions 565A-B on each lateral side of thebathroom. Immediately adjacent to the bathroom, the kitchen unit 570 isinstalled against the utility wall 535 that has the stove 572, sink 571,and cabinets. Other internal furniture such as a bed, desk, chair,dresser, coffee table, and couches may be placed anywhere.

Alternatively, FIGS. 11C-D illustrate component plans of a secondexemplary two-bedroom unit for various walls and components before andafter assembly. For example, the exterior wall 510 is interchangeablewith different walls such as using two layers of exterior walls510A-510B. The reconfigurable glass partition 567 that separates thebedroom from the living room is interchangeable with a regularreconfigurable partition 565A. Any of the layouts are flexible and wallsas well as components can be changed around.

FIGS. 12-13 illustrate an overview of wall construction of the units ofthe present invention. In an effort to keep the construction asefficient as possible for on-site staging, storage of materials, wallsand components are minimal. All of the fundamental elements of thebuilding are delivered to the site as pre-fabricated and pre-finishedcomponents. These pre-fabricated and pre-finished components include allexterior walls, demising walls, interior partitions, all kitchen andbathroom units, and other components. Walls are typically delivered aslarge a component as possible and unless noted otherwise, are hoisteddirectly from the truck to their final location for immediateinstallation.

More specifically, FIGS. 12A-F illustrate a perspective view ofdifferent phases of assembling an exemplary studio unit and its interiorcomponents. FIG. 12A illustrates an exemplary studio unit floor 590 ofthe slab with a recess 595 for the bathroom floor pan 555. After theslabs 450 are in place the demising walls 520A-B are delivered to thesite. Each of the demising walls 520A-B is hoisted as a single wallcomponent and staged in the studio unit. In this particular embodiment,the demising wall 520 is single 19′-0″ long component. However,depending on the overall plan, the dimensions of the demising wall 520are easily changeable and not limited to these dimensions. The demisingwalls 520A-B are merely positioned and are not installed untilinstallation of the exterior window wall 505 is complete. As shown inFIG. 12B, the demising walls 520A-B are delivered to the site as apreassembled, prewired and prefinished component with sprinklers.

As shown in FIG. 12C, the demising walls 520A-B are installed to enclosethe studio unit. In the next step as shown in FIG. 12E, the bathroomfloor pan is fitted into the recess 595 before installing the bathroomand kitchen components. As shown in FIG. 12D, a utility wall 535 isinstalled so that a toilet 559 and a bathroom vanity 557 can beinstalled on top of the bathroom floor pan 555 and against the utilitywalls 535. Immediately adjacent to the bathroom, a kitchen unit 570 witha stove 572, cabinets 573, kitchen sink 571 with a countertop. As shownin FIG. 12F, the reconfigurable partition 565 separates the bathroomfrom the kitchen. The shower partition 562 separates the shower 566 andbathroom 553 from the living space area. The entry door 525 may beinstalled either after or before installation of the bathroom andkitchen components. The details of attachment of the demising walls520A-B to the studio unit floor 590 or slab 450 are described in andmore readily understood in FIG. 19.

FIGS. 13A-F illustrate a perspective view of different phases ofassembling an exemplary two-bedroom unit. Similar to assembling thestudio unit as shown in FIGS. 12A-F, the demising wall 520 that isdelivered to the site as a preassembled, prewired and prefinishedcomponent is hoisted up to the unit and staged to be installed afterinstallation of the exterior window walls 505A-C. As shown in FIG. 12B,the bathroom floor pan 555 is similarly fitted into the recess 595 foreasily installing the bathroom components. A utility wall 535 isinstalled to enclose the two-bedroom unit. All the internal bathroom andkitchen components are similarly installed as described in FIG. 12. Thetwo bedrooms are separated from each other by a first reconfigurablepartition 565A. Each of the bedroom is separated from the living spaceby second and third reconfigurable partitions 565B-C. Each of the secondand third reconfigurable partitions 565B-C have an attached slidingbedroom door 568 for privacy. The bathroom also has a sliding bathroomdoor 558 that is attached to the shower partition 562 that alsoseparates the bathroom. The second reconfiguration partition 565B isinterchangeable with a reconfigurable glass partition 567 for allowingmore light into the bedroom. On the side of the utility walls 535, anentry door 525 within an exterior wall and an exterior wall 510 areinstalled to fully enclose the two-bedroom unit.

As shown in FIG. 13C-F, there are two types of insulated walls,including but not limited to the exterior window walls 505A-C. Theseexterior window walls 505 are delivered to the site as pre-assembled andpre-finished components for rapid installation. Exterior window walls505A-C are installed on the exterior sides of the units one right afterthe other at the general contractor's discretion. Upon installing theexterior window walls 505A-D, they provide a fully weather-sealed,exterior wall system for the plurality of units.

FIGS. 14A-G illustrate side and top views of various configurations ofthe exterior window walls 505 for various units. The exterior windowwalls 505A, 505B, 505D, 505E and 505F have operable windows 509 foreasily opening the windows for outside access. The operable windows 509are swinging, sliding or other mechanisms by which windows are opened.In this exemplary embodiment, the exterior window wall 505C does nothave a swinging or sliding window 509. The operable windows 509 may beopaque windows so that light is not easily penetrated or clear windows.Any of these exterior window walls 505 may be installed to accommodatedifferent layouts of units. All of the exterior window walls 505 aredelivered to the site for rapid installation.

FIGS. 15-16 illustrate sectional details of structural members forattaching exterior window walls 505, 605 to the structural frame 600,610 and slab 650. The top and bottom exterior window walls 605A, 605Bare each supported at the edges by support members 610A, 610B. In orderto install exterior window walls 605A, 605B, an anchor 612 in the shapeof an L with outer ledges bent inwardly is first placed and anchored tothe slab 650 by vertically inserting a fastener 621A at the middleportion of the bottom side of the anchor 612 into the slab 650. The topanchor block 625A within the slab 650 receives and catches the firstfastener 621A to firmly secure the anchor 612 to the slab 650. Theanchor 612 is positioned on and anchored to the slab 650 to leave roomfor at least half of a large flashing 655 to fit on the remainingportion of the slab 650 towards the edge. Flexible, large flashing 655is shaped around the adjacent components to make a step-like structurewith two upper and lower horizontal portions and two upper and lowervertical portions. The flexible, large flashing 655, which iswaterproof, is positioned immediately next to the anchor 612 so that theexterior, vertical side of the anchor 612 fits with the upper verticalside of the large flashing 655 and the lower horizontal portion of thelarge flashing 655 fits snugly on the slab 650. Half of the lowerhorizontal portion of the large flashing 655 protrudes out at the edgeof the slab 650 as shown in FIGS. 15-16.

A slip member 630 is then anchored firmly to the underside of the slab650 at the ceiling portion or the head portion of the exterior windowwall 605B. The slip member 630 is shimmed so that it is perfectly levelto receive the bottom exterior window wall 605B with the head supportmember 611B and rests at its exact elevation. The exterior window walls605A, 605B are constructed to allow approximately ⅝″ of shim space atthe top and bottom for leveling and alignment. A third fastener 621C isused to attach a head wedge 615B to the underside of the slab 650. Thebottom anchor block 625B within the slab 650 receives and catches thethird fastener 621C to firmly secure the slip member 630 to the slab650. The small flashing 617 is used to seal the head wedge 615B. Uponanchoring the slip member 630A to its proper position under the slab650, the exterior window wall 605B with the head support member 611B isinserted into the slip member 630A. Upon securing the head portion ofthe exterior window wall 605B with the slip member 630B, the bottomportion of the exterior window wall 605A is positioned tightly againstthe anchor 612 and at the bottom side (not shown in this figure) of theexterior window wall 605B. As shown in FIG. 16, a bottom wedge 615A isattached on top of the slab 650 with the large flashing 655 in betweenbefore positioning the exterior window wall 605A against the anchor 612.

The exterior window walls 605 already have integrated insulating panels630 which are already included during manufacturing. Therefore, theexterior window walls 605 are installed and enclosed by trims 617without a need to place any insulating panels 620 around the horizontalcolumns 610 to insulate the slab 650 and the exterior window walls605A-B from outer air and moisture. The completely assembled exteriorwindow walls 605A-B are shown in FIG. 16.

The next method of constructing a building is installing end walls 515,particularly when a unit is located in the middle of a building 101,102, 103. A living unit that is located in the middle of a building 101,102, 103, is enclosed between two demising walls 520 that are parallelto one another. In this case, both the demising walls 520A-B with itsstructural members are placed one after the other. However, for a livingunit that is located at the end of a building 101, 102, 103, the endunit requires installation of an end wall 515 in lieu of a seconddemising wall 520B or an exterior window wall 505, 605. The preferredsequence is to install the end wall 515 with its structural membersimmediately following installation of the exterior window walls 505, 605as shown in previous FIGS. 15-16. This sequence of events helps toenclose the construction as soon as possible.

FIG. 36 illustrates cross-sectional details of end walls 515A-B, beforeattaching a final panel 661A made of metal or other similar materials tothe exterior surfaces of the end walls 515A-B and floor and ceiling slab650 located in between. FIGS. 37A-B illustrate cross-sectional detailsof end walls of FIG. 36 after attaching the final panel 661A to theexterior surfaces of the end walls 515A-B and floor and ceiling slab 650located in between. An exemplary end wall 515 is composed of 3⅝″ metalstud framing with batt insulation, sprinkler plumbing, electrical, andcommunications components. The wiring and plumbing are pre-installed ata factory and connected at the site. The interior side of the end wall515 receives a layer of fire-rated, inner wall panel 657A-B with afinished panel 660. The inner wall panel 657A-B is preferably a 12 mmmagnesium oxide board, however, other types of fire-rated wall panelswith safety mechanisms may be used and is not meant to be limiting. Thefinish for the inner wall panel 657A-B may be determined from severaloptions that are available and attached over the interior side of theend wall 515 at a factory to pre-manufacture the end walls 515. Anexemplary finish is a finished panel 660 over the inner wall panel657A-B. Examples of a finish would include stain, paint, an additionallayer of magnesium-oxide board, wood veneer, wood paneling, plaster,metal, wallpaper, and cork among others. The exterior side of the endwall 515 receives a pre-finished metal panel 661 that is also insulated.Furthermore, pre-finished trims 682A-B cover the interior bottom andhead portions of the end walls 515A-B. Removable, pre-finished trims682A-B are placed to conceal the wall insulation and connections of thehead and bottom portions of the end walls 515A-B.

A base anchor 612A is securely attached to the slab 650 using a firstfastener 621A that is drilled vertically down into the slab 650 forreceiving the bottom portion of the end wall 515A. A second anchor 612Bis also drilled upwardly into the slab 650 to securely attach the headanchor 612E to the underside of the slab 650. The end wall 515 utilizesa thermally insulated anchors 612A-B that are securely attached to theslab 650 prior to installing the end wall 515A-B. The end walls 515 aresuspended via a crane and moved into place from the exterior of thebuilding. The end wall 515A is set onto the slab 650 and secured intoplace via access from the interior face of the building. Simultaneously,the head portion of the end wall 515B is placed into the slip member 630and secured in place. In order to secure the head portion of the endwall 515B to the anchor 612B, a third fastener 621C is securely insertedhorizontally through the vertical side of the anchor 612B and into theend wall 515B. The vertical portion of the anchor 612B has pre-punchedslots (not shown in figures) through which the third fastener 621 isscrewed horizontally to accommodate vertical movement of the end wall515B due to vibration of the slab 650. Consequently, a horizontal gap673 allows slight, vertical deflection of the slab 650. A vertical gap672 also allows horizontal movement of the slab 650. These gaps 672, 673may be filled with fire safing materials 670 prior to attaching themetal panel 661.

A final insulated metal panel 661A and a painted sheet metal trims665A-B are installed once the end walls 515A-B are securely anchoredinto place. Normally, the metal panels 661B-C on the exterior side ofthe end walls 515A-B are pre-manufactured and already attached to theend walls 515A-B. However, the final metal panel 661A is attached aftercomplete installation of the end walls 515A-B to conceal and insulatethe exterior edge of the slab 650 located between the two end walls515A-B.

FIG. 37B illustrates the cross-sectional details of connecting the finalmetal panel 661A to the other metal panels 661B-C that are alreadypre-attached to the two end walls 515A-B. The upper portion 662 andlower portion 663 of the metal panels 661 are oppositely identical inthat the portions 662, 663 are protruding structures extending around 3″that may fit together with other metal panels 661. The width of theupper and lower portions 662, 663 is about half of the width of themetal panel 661. A clip member 680 shaped as a rigid S is attached tothe end wall 515A by a fastener 681 inserted horizontally through theclip member 680 into the end wall 515A. The upper portion of the firstclip member 680 that fits vertically into a small, space 677 of thelower portion 663B of the metal panel 661B and holds the lower portion663B to the end wall 515A. A metal trim 682 is also attached to the endwall 515A by the same fastener 681 that holds the first clip member 680to the end wall 515A. A latch 684 shaped as an L that protrudes out fromthe upper portion 662A of the final metal panel 661A. The metal trim 682catches onto and over the latch 684 to hold the final metal panel 661Ato the end wall 515A. Upon installing the final metal panel 661A and themetal trim 682, a backer rod 683 is sealed at the joint between the twometal panels 661A-B and over the panel fastener 681 to cover the joint.The installation of this final metal panel 661A and trim 682 completethe installation of the end walls 515A-B creating a weather-tight andwater-tight system.

The next step of constructing a building for the present inventioninvolves placing or installing the demising walls 520A-B as shown inFIGS. 19-25. FIG. 19 illustrates completely installed demising walls520A-B to the floor and ceiling slab 650. As shown in FIG. 21, theexemplary demising wall 520 has a head section 641A and a base section641B. The demising wall 520 is composed of staggered 3⅝″ metal studframing 635 with acoustical blanket insulation layer 637, electricalconnections 639, sprinklers, and communications components. Theacoustical insulation layer 637 is preferably 2″ to 3″ thick withweave-thru studs and has sound transmission class (STC) rating of atleast 55 or higher. The life-safety wiring is pre-installed at thefactory and connected at the site of constructing the walls 520 andbuilding. Both sides of the demising wall 520 receive a layer offire-rated, 12 mm magnesium oxide board finish. The finish for thefinish panel 660 may be determined from several options that areavailable and attached over both sides of the demising wall 520 at afactory when the demising walls 520 are pre-manufactured. An exemplaryfinish is a finished panel 660A-D such as stain, paint, an additionallayer of magnesium-oxide board, wood veneer, wood paneling, plaster,metal, wallpaper, and cork among others. A preferred application for theinner wall panel 657 is a 12 mm magnesium oxide board, however, othersimilar fire-rated panels or materials may be used. The head and basesections 641A, 641B are each protected and lines with magnesium oxideboards on the inside for acoustical damping or that are preferably madeof similar materials of strength and durability.

As shown in FIG. 22C, the first step of installing the demising wall 520utilizes pre-finished, acoustically sealed support members 685A-B andfire-insulated, first and second base anchors 686A-B which are securedto the top and under sides of the floor and ceiling slabs 650. As shownin detail in FIG. 22A, the horizontal section of the L-shaped basesupport member 685A has a pre-drilled hole 688A to receive the basefastener 687A for securely attaching the base support member 685A to theslab 650. Therefore, the base support member 685A is securely attachedto the top portion of the slab 650 by drilling the base fastener 687Athrough the hole 688A, the pad 690 and into the slab 650. The pad 690 isapproximately 3½″ long that is positioned immediately beneath thehorizontal section of the base support member 685A. Adjacent to the pad690, fire-sealant tape 693A-B is placed on each side of the pad 690before drilling the base fastener 687A into the slab 650.

As shown in FIG. 23, upon securely attaching the support members 685 tothe top and under sides of the slab 650, the entire demising wall 520Ais set onto the base support member 685A and secured into place.Simultaneously, the head section of the demising wall 520B is placedadjacent to and inside the head anchors 686B and securely positionedinto place. The next step is to insert a support fastener 689Ahorizontally from the vertical side of the head support member 685Bthrough the demising wall 520B. In FIG. 20-23, the head support member685B has pre-determined slots (not actually shown in figures) to allowvertical movement from slab 650 vibration after support fastener 689Aattachment between the vertical side of the head support member 685B andthe head portion of the second wall 641A. In FIG. 24, the next step isto cover the inner side of the demising wall 520A by attaching the trim682, preferably made of metal or other similar materials. Morespecifically, the trim 682 is preferably made of aluminum. After thetrim 682 is attached, the inner side of the demising wall 520A is backedby a magnesium oxide board. A trim fastener 678 is horizontally insertedinto the demising wall 520A.

The next step is filling the horizontal gap 673 created between theunderside of the slab 650 and the head portion of the demising wall 520Bwith fire safing materials 670. The next step is sealing any open spacesbetween the slab 650 and the base portion of the demising wall 520A withcaulk, preferably fire-resistant caulk, to prevent any fire from gettingthrough the space. Caulk or similar fire-resistant material is also usedto seal the space between the horizontal portion of the head supportmember 685B and the head portion of the demising wall 520B whereby thefire safing materials 670 are inserted. This horizontal gap whereby thefire safing materials 670 are filled also allows vertical movement ofthe slab 650 due to vibration. Upon sealing the open spaces between thedemising walls 520A-B and the slab 650, the first and second trims682A-B are attached on each side of the demising wall 520B at the headportion. Removable, pre-finished pressure-fit trim 682 conceals bottomof the wall connections. The first and second trims 682A-B aresubstantially Z-shaped with an upper vertical portion and a lowervertical portion connected by an upper horizontal portion. The lowervertical portion also has a perpendicular, lower horizontal portion. Thetrims 682 also have a preattached fire rated, wall panel on the inside.The lower horizontal portions of the trims 682A-B are inserted betweenthe slab 650, pad 690 and a horizontal portion of the already attachedhead support member 685B until the inner fire rated wall panel on thetrims 682A-B touch the demising wall 520B as shown in FIG. 24. The pad690 is preferably made of neoprene, however, other types of similarmaterials can be used. The removable, pre-finished, pressure-fit trims682A-B conceal the fire-safing 670 and connections.

FIG. 25 illustrates top views and cross-sectional details of theinterface between a demising wall 520 with exterior window walls 505 andentry doors 525. In FIG. 25A, a top view of the demising wall 520interfacing with the exterior window walls 505 is illustrated. The firstwindow member 695A is positioned on the right side of the closure panel699A after attaching the exterior window walls 505 and window member695A to the floor and ceiling slab 650 (as described in FIG. 15).Closure panel 699A with integral insulation 696 is slid into placeattaching to the window member 695A and then attached at the floor andceiling slab 650 (as described in FIG. 15). Next exterior window wall505 with a second window member 695B is placed to the left of theclosure panel 699A and secured in the same manner. The first and secondwindow members 695A-B on each side of the closure panel 699A areapproximately 10″ long and positioned to support the exterior windowwalls 505 against the demising wall 520. Upon secure attachment of theexterior window walls 505A-B, the demising wall 520 is positioned andsecured. Upon secure attachment of the demising walls 520, the rods698A-D, fire safing 670, trims 691C-D, and fire caulking 674 areprovided between the demising wall 520 and the exterior window walls505A-B. Similarly, the rods 698A-D, trims 691C-D, and fire safing 670and fire caulking 674 are inserted between the demising wall 520 and theclosing panel 699B once the demising walls 520 and entry doors 700A-Bare securely positioned perpendicularly. The first door member 700A ispositioned on the right side of the closure panel 699B after attachingthe exterior window walls 525 and first window member 700A to the floorand ceiling slab 650 (as described in FIG. 35). Closure panel 699 withintegral insulation 696 is slid into place attaching to the entry doors700A and then attached at the floor and ceiling slab 650 (as describedin FIG. 35). Next window wall 525 with a second window wall member 700Bis placed to the left of the closure panel 699B and secured in the samemanner. The entry doors 525A-B are attached on the door members 700A-Bon each side of the closure panel 699B. The entry doors 525A-B, morespecifically the door portions are swinging doors, are hingedly attachedto the door members 700A-B of the closure panel 699B.

FIG. 27 illustrates cross-sectional details of utility walls 535installed above and beneath the floor and ceiling slab 650 for interiorplumbing assembly. The recess 595 for the bathroom floor pan 555 extendsunderneath the utility wall 535 to allow the drain 556 to connect to awaste-line plumbing inside of the plumbing chase to avoid exposing drainlines at the ceiling slab 650 of the unit below. Each unit 300A-H asshown in FIG. 6 has a utility wall 535 at the end of every kitchen andbathroom. The utility wall 535 houses common mechanical, plumbing andelectrical risers that serve the units 300A-H. All of the utilities toand from the units are accessed at the utility wall 535.

The next step of constructing a building is placing or installingutility walls 535. FIG. 29 illustrates cross-sectional details ofutility walls 535 attached to the floor and ceiling slab 650. Theseutility walls 535 are delivered to the site as pre-assembled,pre-plumbed, pre-wired and pre-finished components. As shown in FIG. 29,the utility walls 535 are finished on one side with the fire-rated,inner wall panels 657A-B and the other side with outer metal panels661A-C. Other possible cladding materials comprise metal panel,cementitious board, phenolic resin board, wood siding, gypsum reinforcedfiber cement panels, precast concrete panels, and ceramic tile. Theexemplary utility wall 535 is composed of 20 GA metal stud framing 635at 16″ in the center, inner wall panels 657A-B preferably made of 12 mmmagnesium oxide board with a water resistant finish on the inner side ofthe utility wall 535A-B. The utility wall 535 further includes anintegrated 2½″ acoustical blanket insulation layer 637A-B within theutility wall 535. The utility walls 535 arrive on site with all the wallplumbing associated with the kitchen sink 571, toilet 559, shower 566already in place. The utility walls 535 also include all plumbingsupply, vent and drain lines, shower valves 551, shower head 561 andassociated trim. The utility walls 535 further contain the unit'selectrical panel 577. The other side of the utility wall 535 is composedof 3″ 20 GA metal stud framing at 16″ on center, ⅝″ fire-rated wallboard and, in the preferred application from a range of 2″ to 3″, iflocal climate requires it, integrated insulated metal panels withintegral air and vapor barrier. The alternative exterior finish includesa layer of ½ cement board with a water resistant finish. Other exteriorfinish materials include cementitious board, phenolic resin board, woodsiding, gypsum reinforced fiber cement panels, precast concrete panels,and ceramic tile.

Installation of the utility walls 535 utilizes a pre-finished,acoustically sealed head bracket member 685A that is substantiallyshaped as an L, a head anchor 686A at the head portion of the utilitywall 535 which are securely attached to the ceiling slabs 650 with a pad690 in between the head bracket member 685A and the ceiling slab 650.Installation of the utility walls 535 further utilizes base anchors687A-B at the base portion of the utility walls 535 to securely attachto the floor slabs 650. First, the utility wall 535 is set onto thebathroom floor pan 555 of the floor slab 650 as shown in FIGS. 29-30 andsecured into place by anchoring the utility wall 535 to the floor slab650. A first base anchor 687A and a second base anchor 687B through atop anchor block 625 are injected into the floor slab 650 to anchor theutility wall 535 over the bathroom floor pan 555 of the floor slab 650.

Simultaneously, a head anchor 686A is drilled upwardly into the slab 650by permanently attaching a head bracket member 685B to the underside ofthe slab 650 for attaching a utility wall 535B. The head anchor 686A maybe a bolt or similar attachment means to securely attach the headbracket member 685B to the slab 650. The head portion of the utilitywall 535A-B is then securely tilted into the head bracket member 685Bwhile aligning the vertical portion of the angle member 671 with thevertical portion of the head bracket member 685B. The utility wall 535utilizes a thermally insulated head bracket member 685B that is securelyattached to the slab 650 prior to installing the utility wall 535A-B. Asshown in FIG. 29-30, the utility wall 535 is tilted during installationof the wall 535 to catch the second head anchor 686B in the slots (notshown in this figure.) on the vertical side of the angle member 671 andthrough the head bracket member 685B attached above. As shown in FIGS.29-30, the base portion of the utility wall 535 is anchored directly tothe slab 650 via first and second base anchors 687A-B drilled verticallyinto the slab 650. A horizontal gap 673 created between the underside ofthe slab 650 and head portion of the utility wall 535 allows slight,vertical deflection of the slab 650. A vertical gap 672 created betweenthe edge portion 651 of the slab 650 and a first metal panel 661A alsoallows horizontal movement of the slab 650. These horizontal andvertical gaps 672, 673 may be filled with fire safing materials 670prior to attaching the metal panel 661B.

As shown in FIG. 29, a second head anchor 686B is drilled through thevertical portions of the angle member 671 and the head bracket member685B in a horizontal direction or perpendicular to the first head anchor686A to attach the angle member 671 of the utility wall 535B to the headbracket member 685B. The angle member 671 has pre-punched slots on thevertical portion of the L shape to allow any screw, fastener or othermeans to attach the angle member 671 of the demising wall 535B to thehead bracket member 685B to accommodate any vertical movement of theutility wall 535B caused by the vibrational movement of the slab 650.Upon attaching the angle member 671 to the head bracket member 685 atthe head portion, a prefinished trim 682D, preferably with a backerboard, substantially shaped as a Z or a step-like structure is placedover the head anchor assembly to cover the connections. The innerportion of the utility wall 535 that is adjacent to the shower 566 havea water resistant finish with a metal flashing to prevent water fromentering between the bathroom floor pan 555 of the floor slab 650 andthe utility wall 535.

Upon securing the utility walls 535, insulated metal panels 661A-C areinstalled once the utility walls 535A-B are securely anchored intoplace. Normally, the metal panels 661B-C on the exterior side of theutility walls 535A-B are pre-manufactured and already pre-finished bybeing attached to the exterior side of the utility walls 535A-B.However, the final metal panels 661A, 661C are attached after completeinstallation of the utility walls 535A-B to conceal and insulate theexterior edge 651 of the slab 650 located between the two utility walls535A-B. FIG. 32 illustrates the cross-sectional details of connectingthe final metal panel 661A, 661C to the other metal panel 661A that isalready pre-attached to the two utility walls 535A-B. The upper portion662 and lower portion 663 of the metal panels 661 are oppositelyidentical in that the portions 662, 663 are protruding structuresextending out around 3″ that may fit together with other, symmetricalmetal panels 661. The width of the upper and lower portions 662, 663 isabout half of the width of the metal panel 661.

An angle-shaped panel attachment angle 679 is first secured to theutility wall 535B with a fastener 681B as shown in FIG. 31 to allow forthe attachment of the final metal panel 661C. A clip member 680 shapedas a rigid S is attached to the utility wall 535A by a panel fastener681A inserted horizontally through the clip member 680 into the utilitywall 535A. The upper portion of the first clip member 680 that fitsvertically into a small, space 677 of the lower portion 663B of themetal panel 661B and holds the lower portion 663B to the utility wall535A. A trim 682 is also attached to the exterior surface of the utilitywall 535A by the same fastener 681 that holds the first clip member 680to the utility wall 535A. The trim 682 is preferably made of metal butother similar materials can be used and is not meant to be limiting. Alatch 684 shaped as an L that protrudes out from the upper portion 662Aof the final metal panel 661A. The metal trim 682 catches onto and overthe latch 684 to hold the final metal panel 661A to the exteriorplumbing wall 540A. Upon installing the final metal panel 661A and themetal trim 682, a backer rod 683 is sealed at the joint between the twometal panels 661A-B and over the panel fastener 681 to cover the joint.The installation of this final metal panel 661A and trim 682 completethe installation of the utility walls 535A-B creating a weather-tightand water-tight system.

The next step of constructing a building is connecting utilitycomponents and installing fixtures. All of the unit's utilityconnections occur at the utility walls 535. The electrical andcommunications main lines run vertically in the utility wall 535. Ateach unit, the electrical service feeds directly into the utility wall's535 breaker panel. Wiring connections to other wall components occur viapre-installed wiring. Electrical and communications connections arecarried out at the time of installation of each adjacent utility wall535. In FIG. 28A, a side view of the utility wall 535 is shown withoutthe bath and kitchen components in place. The bathroom floor pan 555with the drain 556 is set in grout first after installing the utilitywall 535. The utility wall 535 has first and second vents 576A-B locatedrespectively in the bathroom 553 and kitchen 569 on top portions of theutility wall 535. The utility wall 535 also has first and secondplumbing 580A-B for supply and waste for connecting the bathroom vanity557 and sink 571A with a sink and kitchen unit 570. There are aplurality of outlets 581A-H located in the utility wall 535 for thebathroom 553 and kitchen 569. The utility wall 535 that arrives on-sitealso has pre-integrated shower head 561 and shower valves 551.

FIG. 28B illustrates the utility wall 535 with bathroom and kitchencomponents installed on the utility wall 535. Installation of plumbingfixtures occur immediately after utility connections are made to theutility wall 535 Sinks 571A-B are pre-installed in the bathroom vanity557 and kitchen unit 570. Cabinets 573A-B are delivered and installedimmediately after the utility wall 535 is installed. All wiring within agiven unit feed back to the unit's electrical panel 577.

The next step of constructing a building is inserting a bathroom floorpan 555 and a shower base 560 with an integral drain 556 into a recess595 within the floor slab 650. The recess 595 or depression is cast intothe slab 650 and shaped to receive the bathroom floor pan 555 and showerbase 560. The bathroom floor pan 555 is a pre-cast, pre-formed componentwith an integral shower base 560 and sloping floors towards the drain556 for directing water to the drain 556. The bathroom floor pan 555 isfield set in grout after the installation of the utility wall 535. InFIG. 26B, the first shower partition 562A is shown to divide the shower566 portion from the bathroom 553 portion. The toilet 559 and bathroomvanity 557 are also shown. The next step of construction is placingexterior walls 510. Living units that are 30 feet and wider may have aroom against the exterior wall 510 at the chase wall side of the unit.If these rooms are to be used as bedrooms, building code may requirethat a door or window be provided that is large enough to accommodateegress. In these types of conditions, exterior walls 510 can be used.The exterior wall 510 is composed and anchored in exactly the samemanner as the end walls 515 as shown in FIGS. 36-37. The exterior walls510 are provided in a different configuration than the end walls 515since the exterior walls 510 have a window or door included. Similar tothe end walls 515, exterior walls 510 are composed of 3⅝″ metal studframing 635 with batt insulation layer 637, electrical, communications,and life safety wiring which are installed at the factory and connectedat the site. The interior side of the exterior wall 510 receives a layerof 12 mm magnesium oxide board or a finish panel 660 (finish to bedetermined from the several options available) attached over the wallboard. The exterior side of the exterior wall 510 receive a pre-finishedinsulated metal panel 661. The alternative exterior finish materialsinclude cementitious board, phenolic resin board, wood siding, gypsumreinforced fiber cement panels, precast concrete panels, and ceramictile. The exterior wall 510 utilizes a thermally insulated head anchor612 with a pre-finished trim 682. These anchors 612 are secured to theceiling and floor slab 650.

Similar to the end walls 515, the exterior walls 510 are suspended via acrane and moved into place from the exterior of the building. Theexterior walls 510 are set onto the floor slab 650 and secured intoplace. Simultaneously, the head portion of the exterior wall 510 isplaced adjacent to the anchor 612 and secured into place. The verticalside of the head anchor 612 has pre-punched slots to allow screw orfastener attachment to occur between the anchor 612 and the exteriorwall 510 to accommodate vertical movement caused by vibration of theslab 650. An insulated metal panel 661 and removable, pre-finished metaltrim 665 are installed at the head section to conceal the top ofexterior wall 510 insulation and connections once the exterior walls 510are securely anchored into place. The metal panel 661 conceals andinsulates the vertical edge 651 of the slab 650. Upon installing thefinal metal panel 661A and the metal trim 682, a backer rod 683 issealed at the joint between the two metal panels 661A-B and over thepanel fastener 681 to cover the joint. The installation of this finalmetal panel 661A and trim 682 complete the installation of the exteriorwalls 510 creating a weather-tight and water-tight system.

The next step of construction is installing the entry door 525. Theentry door 525 is a pre-assembled, pre-wired and pre-finished component.The entry door 525 comes with a door portion 705, inner frame 707 tohouse the door portion 705, outer frame 706 to support the entry door525, and an operable relight panel 704 positioned above the door portion705. All associated hardware for the door portion 705 is pre-installedexcept for thresholds or covers 710 to prevent bottom draft, an outerframe 706, and a closure panel 699. The closure panel 699 is preferablymade of aluminum, however, other types of materials can be used toenclose the door assembly. The entry door 525 may come in a right-handor a left-hand door configuration to accommodate different unit layouts.The entry door 525 has an operable relight panel 704 above the doorportion 705. Electrical connections to be made between walls such as thedemising wall 520 and the utility wall 535 are made in the cavitybetween the door portion 705 and the operable relight panel 704. Asshown in FIGS. 34-35, the entry door 525 is anchored to the floor viaanchor clips 703A-B provided at each side, and the anchor clips 703A-Bare used to attach the frames 706, 707 to the floor slab 650. Uponinstalling the entry door 525, the anchor clips 703A-B are concealedunder the unit's cover 710.

The operable relight panel 704 of the entry door 525 is anchored to theceiling slab 650 above via a head anchor 612 which is secured to theceiling slab 650. Attachment of the removable panel 704 of the entrydoor 525 is very similar to the head connection of the exterior windowwalls 505, 605 as shown in FIG. 15. The top of the entry door 525 isplaced adjacent to the head anchor 612 and securely attached in place.The head anchor 612 has pre-punched slots to allow screw attachment tooccur between the anchor 612 and the entry door 525 to accommodatevertical movement caused by vibration of the slab 650. The connection atthe head of the entry door 525 is covered by the removable panel 704placed above the door. The wall cavity above the door houses theelectrical connections linking the outlets in the demising wall 520 tothe electrical service in the plumbing chase.

FIGS. 35B-D illustrate attaching the head and base portions of the entrydoor 525 to the floor and ceiling slab 650. The base portion of theentry door 525 is first set above the floor slab 650 so that the bottomportion 702 of the entry door 525 is sitting in a perpendiculardirection from the bottom anchor block 625B as shown in FIG. 35B. TheL-shaped anchor clip 703 is touching the front, bottom portion 702 ofthe entry door 525 and also sitting perpendicularly above the bottomanchor block 625B so that first and second fasteners 621A-B are drilledinto the bottom portion 702 of the entry door 525 and bottom anchorblock 625B within the floor slab 650. The cover 710 then is installedover the bottom portion 702 of the entry door 525 to make the groundlevel gradually declining from the door portion 705 to the floor slab650. At the head portion of the entry door 525, a first slip member 630Asubstantially L-shaped and a second slip member 630B substantiallyC-shaped are connected at the top end to be anchored firmly to theunderside of the slab 650 at the ceiling portion or the head portion ofthe entry door 525. The slip member 630 is shimmed so that it isperfectly level to receive the head entry door 525 with the head supportmember 611B and rests at its exact elevation. The entry doors 525 areconstructed to allow approximately ⅝″ of shim space at the top andbottom for leveling and alignment. A third fastener 621C is used toattach a head wedge 615B, positioned between the top anchor block 625Aand the two slip members 630 to the underside of the slab 650. The topanchor block 625A within the ceiling slab 650 receives and catches thethird fastener 621C to firmly secure the first and second slip members630 to the slab 650. The slip members 630 in turn securely hold bothinner and outer sides of the entry door 525 by attaching on both sidesas shown in FIGS. 35C-D. A small flashing 617 is used to seal the headwedge 615B.

Upon anchoring the slip members 630A-B to its proper position under theslab 650, the entry door 525 with the head support member 611B isinserted into the slip members 630A-B. Upon securing the head portion ofthe entry door 525 with the slip members 630A-B, the bottom portion ofthe entry door 525 is positioned tightly against the anchor 612 and atthe bottom side (not shown in this figure.) of the entry door 525. Asshown in FIG. 35, a bottom wedge 615A may be attached on top of the slab650 with the large flashing 655 in between before positioning the entrydoor 525 against the head anchor 612. The wall cavity above the entrydoor 525 houses the electrical connections linking the outlets in thedemising wall 520 to the electrical service in the utility wall 535.

FIGS. 34A-B illustrate top views of the entry doors 525 attachedadjacent to the utility wall 535 and perpendicularly attached to thedemising wall 520. Two entry doors 525 are currently shown to beinstalled side by side next to each other. The door portions 705A-B areshown to be swinging doors which are currently open. The door portions705A-B can be made of glass or any other type of materials. FIG. 34Billustrates a detailed and magnified top view of the outer frame 706connecting adjacent to the utility wall 535. The head anchor 612 shapedas an L is placed at the perpendicular corner created between theutility wall 535 and the inner frame 707 of the entry door 525 so thatthe first fastener 621A is drilled through the anchor 612 into the innerframe 707 while the second fastener 621B is drilled through the anchor612 in a perpendicular direction from the first fastener 621A into theutility wall 535. The anchor 612 therefore anchors the entry door 525against the right side of the utility wall 535 as shown in FIG. 34B.Upon anchoring the entry door 525 to the utility wall 535, the outerframe 706 is attached over the inner frame 707 to conceal theattachments of the entry door 525 to the utility wall 535. Furthermore,a rod 683 and sealant are used in a channel created between the outersurface of the entry door 525, more specifically the inner frame 707,and the utility wall 535 whereby the entry door 525 was inserted intoplace before anchoring adjacently to the utility wall 535. On the rightside of the entry door 525 whereby the first entry door 525A isadjacently attached to a second entry door 525B and interfacingperpendicularly with a demising wall 520, a closure panel 699C is placedin between the two entry doors 525A-B so prevent the space to be leftopen. As shown in FIG. 34, the closure panel 699C is inserted andattached between the two entry doors 525A-B, more specifically two outerframes 706A-B of the two entry doors 525A-B.

The next step of construction is installing interior partitions 562,565, 567 and bedroom doors 568 for separating rooms or configuring roomswith different layouts as shown in FIGS. 17-18. Interior partitions 562,565, 567 and bedroom doors 568 are minimal. In most cases, the interiorpartitions 562, 565, 567 and bedroom doors 568 are removable, and thelocation of the partitions is easily adjustable. The two main exemplarytypes of partitions include ⅜″ tempered glass and 3″ thick, full-heightreconfigurable partitions. Shower partitions 562 for the bathroom arefull height ⅜″ tempered and frosted glass panels that fit into a headtrack 713A and are held in place via wall anchors. A sliding bedroomdoor 568 mounted on a sliding door track 715 at the head portion andsitting over a sliding door guide 716 may also be provided as shown inFIGS. 17-18. Head anchors 612B and bottom anchors 612A are brushedaluminum and attach directly to or drill into the surface of the floorand ceiling slabs 650 as shown in FIGS. 17-18.

At the head portion of the partitions 562, 565, 567 and bedroom doors568 whereby they attach to the bottom side of the ceiling slab 650, arigid C-shaped receptor channel 713A is attached to the bottom side ofthe ceiling slab 560 using a first head anchor 612B. The receptorchannel 713A is approximately 2″ deep and 2″ wide so that the topportion of the partition 565 is inserted at least half way to ¾″ intothe receptor channel 713A. Before inserting the partition 565 into thereceptor channel 713A and set in place, shims 718 are placed between thevertical portions of the receptor channel 713A and the top portion ofthe partition 565 to create friction and to provide additional supportfor securely holding the partition 565 in place. At the receptor channel713 of the head portion, a continuous rubber glazing gasket 719 will beinserted between channel and partition to secure the panel onto place.Sealant will be provided at vertical wall joints where the glazing actsas a shower enclosure. The partition 565 is anchored to the walls viaedge angles (not shown in this figure.).

A sliding bedroom door 568, whether made of glass or other materials, isattached to a sliding door guide 715 previously attached to the ceilingslab 650 via a second head anchor 612B. The sliding door guide 715basically guides the sliding bedroom door 568 at the top portion so thatit can slide open and close easily. The sliding bedroom door 568 issuspended from a sliding door track 715 mounted to the underside of theceiling slab 650. The protruding structure 733 from the top portion ofthe sliding bedroom door 568 extends into the sliding door track 715 andto catch the sliding door track 715. A trim 714, preferably made ofaluminum or other types of materials, is used to attach the top portionof the sliding bedroom door 568 to the underside of the ceiling slab 650via a second head anchor 612B as shown in FIG. 17B. The top part of thetrim 714 is attached directly to the ceiling slab 650 and the bottom,side portion of the trim 714 is attached to top, side part of thesliding bedroom door 568 by linking the hook 748.

At the bottom portion of the partition 565 and bedroom door 568, abottom receptor channel 713C is attached to the floor slab 650 by abottom anchor 612A to insert a partition base member 711. The partitionbase member 711 is fully positioned within the bottom receptor channel713C so that a third fastener or fastening means 717D is horizontallydrilled through the bottom receptor channel 713C and into the partitionbase member 711 for securely attaching the bottom portion of thepartition 565. Furthermore, a sliding door guide 716 is adjacentlypositioned on the floor slab 650 next to the bottom receptor channel713C and attached to the floor slab 650 by drilling two bottom anchors612A through the flat portions of the sliding door guide 716 and intothe floor slab 650. The sliding bedroom door 568 has a groove 738 thatfits over the protruding sliding door guide 716. An attachment member739 that extends below the end of the sliding door 568 keeps the slidingdoor 568 above the ground of the floor slab 650 for easy sliding of thedoor 568. The majority of the weight of the sliding door 568 will becarried on rollers in ceiling-mounted track 715. This mechanism istypically used between the kitchen and bathroom. The partitions 565 mayalso be used to help establish privacy between bedrooms. A 4″ thickreconfigurable glass wall system will be used where partitions 565 arecalled for between living and dining areas and bedrooms. In theseapplications, the sliding aluminum and glass doors are suspended from asliding door track that is supported by the wall system's verticalmullions.

The next step of construction is installing kitchen and bathroomcomponents. As shown in FIGS. 28A-B, toilets 559 are installed on theutility wall 535. Bathroom vanities 557 arrive on site pre-assembledwith the sink 571A and associated out-of-wall plumbing pre-installed andready for immediate connection to the building's systems. The showerbase 560 and floor drain 556 are integral parts of the bathroom floorpan 555 as shown in FIG. 26. Kitchen units 570 are pre-fabricated,pre-finished kitchen wall and base cabinets. These kitchen units 570arrive at the site pre-drilled and trimmed for plumbing, electricalconnections and vent ducting. Cabinets 573B have integral exhaust fansand light fixtures to be installed on the utility wall 535. Dishwasherand under-counter refrigerator are also delivered to be installed on theutility wall 535.

The next step of construction is installing parapet wall 730 for theroof as shown in FIGS. 38-39. In a preferred application, theinstallation of the parapet wall 730 and the roof membrane 750 occursimultaneously with the installation of the interior partitions 562,565, 567. This is one of several options for a unitized prefabricatedsystem of enclosing the roof of the building that could includepanelized overhangs, shading devices, canopies, solar panels and/orfabric tent structures. Therefore, this example is not to be limiting innature. The top tier of the exterior window walls 505, 605, 606 is theparapet wall 730. The exemplary parapet wall 730 is an 18″ high wallthat connects to the roof slab 650 and accommodates the building'sroofing membrane flashing and garden roof conditions. Upon placement orinstallation of all of the building's typical exterior window walls 505,605, 606 and/or exterior walls 510, the parapet walls 730 and associatedparts arrive at the site in components of reasonable length to beimmediately installed. The parapet wall 730 consists of 6 inch, 20 GAmetal stud framing at 16″ on center with an integrated, insulated panel732 on one side only. The integrated, insulated panel 732 is preferablymade of metal, however, other similar materials may be used. Alternativeexterior finish materials include cementitious board, phenolic resinboard, wood siding, gypsum reinforced fiber cement panels, precastconcrete panels, and ceramic tile. The parapet wall 730 typically hasintegral flashing to prevent water penetrations between the parapet wall730 and the top of the exterior window walls 505, 605, 606. Exemplaryparapet walls 730 are approximately 10 feet long. As shown in FIG. 38,the parapet wall 730 is securely anchored on top of the roof slab 650directly through the bottom track 737 to the roof slab 650 by drilling afastener 735 or similar structure into the slab 650.

Upon installing and anchoring the parapet wall 730, exterior sheathing740A is applied on the opposite side of the insulated panel 732 to theroof side of the parapet wall 730. As shown in FIG. 39, after applyingthe exterior sheathing layer 740A, the roof membrane 750 is applied ontop of the parapet wall 730 over the block 731 and also over thesheathing layer 740A on the vertical side of the parapet wall 730. InFIGS. 39-40, a flashing cap member 745 is attached over the cap supportmember 746 on top of the parapet wall 730. The cap support member 746 isplaced on top of the parapet wall 730 and the cap latch member isattached to the upper, roof side of the parapet wall 730. The capsupport member 746 supports the top, horizontal part of the flashing capmember 745 while the cap latch member 747 catches the vertical part onthe roof side of the flashing cap member 745. The top portion of theinsulated panel 732 catches the vertical part on the exterior side ofthe flashing cap member 745 to tightly keep the flashing cap member 745over the parapet wall 730.

The next step of construction is installing the roof. The majority ofthe building's roof is a flat membrane roof. In one of the exemplaryapplications, the roof area has a garden roof system. The garden roofsystem is a low-maintenance, green roof system which helps reduce thesite storm water run-off flow rates. This garden roof system uses highquality recycled materials and improves air quality via the creation ofoxygen and the reduction of dust. The cover provided by the planting 770minimizes the impact from UV and varying temperatures on the surroundingenvironment and increases the life of the roof. Sloped roofing may beused in selective locations such as independent walkways, areas withstairs and elevator landings.

Translucent roof panels may be used at sloping roofs to allow as muchnatural light as possible to the areas below. Any run-off from the roofsurfaces are collected and stored as gray water for irrigating theplants on the green roof and in-the-site landscape. In one of theexemplary applications, an Insulated Roof Membrane (IRMA) also called aProtected Roof Membrane (PMR) System may be installed after the parapetwall 730 is installed. A monolithic, thermoplastic roofing membrane 750is placed directly on the concrete roof slab 650. This monolithic,thermoplastic roofing membrane 750 is a fully adhered, seamless,self-healing membrane that can be mopped onto the top of the roof slab650. Upon applying the roofing membrane 750, the roof is covered with afiberglass-reinforced protective layer or root barrier, and additionallycovered with a layer of CFC-free, closed cell rigid insulation as an airbarrier. The thickness of the insulation layers are determined by thelocal environment and governing thermal design values.

As shown in FIGS. 40-41, the rigid insulation layer 755 over the roofingmembrane 750 is covered by a water retention mat 757 that providesdrainage and aeration for the planting 770. The mat 757 also retainssome of the run-off water and provides plant irrigation via capillaryaction. This mat 757 is further covered with soil filter fabric and thena minimum of 8 inches of lightweight engineered soil or growth media760. The lightweight growth media 760 is further covered with a windbarrier planting fabric. The wind barrier planting fabric reduces soilerosion and dust while allowing the planting 770 to grow. The planting770 is a shallow, pre-packaged, root drought-tolerant planting. If anirrigation system is to be installed, the irrigation system can beinstalled in conjunction with the placement of growth media 760. Plantsused in the planting 770 are typically of shallow root anddrought-tolerant variety. The planting 770 may be delivered to the sitein pre-planted blankets or in pre-planted modular grids.

The next step of construction is assembling exterior walkways. Theapplication of the exterior walkways are determined by the overallbuilding configuration and the need for structural framing adjacent tothe face of the building. In another embodiment wherein the buildingtakes on a rectilinear or L-shape scenario, all sides have diagonalbracing. In FIG. 42, this scenario is illustrated whereby the buildingtakes on a rectilinear or L-shape scenario. In these conditions, thereis continuous horizontal beam 803 framing on all elevations. Thehorizontal beam 803 framing acts as drag struts for the braced framesand helps provide torsional restraint for the vertical columns 800 underjacking loads. For the rectilinear and L-shape scenarios, a columnsupport member 815 or a bolt-on system may be used for all exteriorwalkways. The column support member 815 is bolted to the horizontal beamframing system. Alternatively, common walkways can be part of the unitfloor slab 850 and utilize the same support system as the unit slabs850. In these conditions, a thermal brake is cast into the slab 850under a unit's exterior wall 810. The extension of the slab 850 helpsreduce reinforcing requirements in the main portion of the slabs 850,and there is no horizontal beam 803 framing to interfere with lifting.

The steps described in FIGS. 19-42 describe the sequence of assembling astandard sized studio unit 300B, 300C or FIG. 6. Utilizing standardwalls is easily modifiable in creating a unit with multiple bedrooms andbathrooms as described in the next steps for two and four bedroom units.

Two and Four Bedroom Units:

A typical two-bedroom unit is one and half times longer than a studiounit. Four-bedroom units are typically twice the size of a standardstudio unit. There are also standard plans for two and three-bedroomcorner units and efficiency units as shown in FIG. 6. Standard wall andpartition components are available which accommodate the larger units.If the overall plans for the building include a mix of unit types, thefollowing sequence of assembly is applicable for multiple bedroom units.

The first step of constructing multiple bedroom units is delivering andstaging of demising walls 520 as described in FIGS. 19-25. As previouslydescribed in FIGS. 19-25 for standard application, the demising walls520 are delivered to the site and staged in each unit for installationimmediately after installation of the exterior window walls 505. As alsodescribed in FIG. 13, the demising wall 520 is installed afterinstallation of the exterior window walls 505.

As previously described in FIGS. 13 and 15-18, the next step ofconstructing multiple bedroom units is installing the exterior windowwalls 505. The sequence for the delivery and installation of theexterior window walls 505 and components are described for the standardapplications in FIGS. 15-18. Immediately after installing the exteriorwindow walls 505, demising walls 520 are placed and installed asdescribed in FIGS. 13-14 and 19-25.

The next step of constructing multiple bedroom units is placing endwalls 515 for units as described in FIGS. 36 and 37. The longer two- andfour-bedroom units utilize the same utility walls 535 as a standardstudio unit. However, in order to accommodate the longer multi-bedroomunit, an additional exterior wall 510 is to be provided. The exteriorwalls 510 are composed and anchored in exactly the same manner as theend walls 515. The exterior walls 510 are to be provided in a differentconfiguration than the end walls 515 and may have a window or doorincluded. If the exterior wall 510 encloses a bedroom then the buildingcode may require that a door or window be provided that is large enoughto accommodate egress within the exterior wall 510. The exemplaryexterior wall 510 is composed of 3⅝″ metal stud framing with battinsulation, electrical, communications, and life safety wiring which areinstalled at the factory and connected at the site. The interior side ofthe exterior wall 510 receives a layer of 12 mm magnesium oxide, innerwall panel 657 with a finished panel 660 (finish to be determined fromthe several options available) that is attached over the inner wallpanel 657. The exterior side of the exterior wall 510 receives aprefinished, insulated metal panel 661. The exterior wall 510 systemutilizes a thermally insulated head anchor 612 with a prefinished trim665. These anchors 612 are securely attached to the ceiling slabs 650 tohold the exterior walls 510 as shown in FIG. 36.

The exterior wall 510 is then suspended via a crane and moved into placefrom the exterior of the building. The exterior wall 510 is set onto thefloor slab 650 and secured into place via access from the exterior faceof the building. Simultaneously, the head portion of the exterior wall510 is placed into the slip member 630 and secured in place. In order tosecure the head portion of the exterior wall 510 to the head anchor 612,a fastener 621 is securely inserted horizontally through the verticalside of the anchor 612 and into the exterior wall 510. The head anchor612 further has pre-punched slots to allow any screw or fastenerattachment to occur between the anchor 612 and the inner wall panel 657to accommodate vertical movement caused by slab 650 vibration.Removable, prefinished, metal head trim 665 is placed to conceal the topof the exterior wall 510 insulation and connections. Upon anchoring theexterior wall 510 into place, a final, insulated metal panel 661 and apainted sheet metal trim 682 are installed on the outer surface of theexterior wall 510. The final metal panel 661 conceals and insulates theedge 651 of the floor and ceiling slab 650. As shown in FIG. 37, a rod683 and sealant are set at the joint between the two exterior metalpanels 661 once the final panel 661 and trim 682 are in place.

The next step of construction is placing the utility wall 535 aspreviously described for the standard application in FIGS. 28-30. Thenext step of constructing multiple bedroom units is connecting utilitycomponents and installing fixtures. The sequence of the utilityconnections and placement of the plumbing fixtures are previouslydescribed for the standard application in FIGS. 10-13 and 30.

The next step of constructing multiple bedroom units is inserting abathroom floor pan 555 with an integral drain 556 into a recess 595within the floor slab 650 as standard application and previouslydescribed in FIGS. 26 and 27.

The next step of constructing multiple bedroom units is installing theentry door 525 and its associated parts. Installation of the entry door525 is previously described for the standard application in FIGS. 34 and35. The next step of constructing multiple bedroom units is installinginterior partitions 562, 565, 567 for separating rooms or configuringrooms with different layouts as described in FIGS. 10-13, 17, 18 and 33.The next step of constructing multiple bedroom units is installingkitchen and bathroom components as previously described in FIGS. 10-13,26, and 30.

The next step of constructing outer structures such as the parapet wall730 for the roof, roof, and exterior or common walkways are the same aspreviously described in FIGS. 38-42.

It should be noted that relative terms are meant to help in theunderstanding of the structures and are not meant to limit the scope ofthe invention. Similarly, the term “head” is meant to be relative to theterm “base,” and the term “top” is meant to be relative to the term“bottom.” It should also be noted that the term “right” is meant to berelative to the term “left,” and the term “horizontal” is meant to berelative to the term “vertical.” Furthermore, the present invention isdescribed in terms of perpendicular and parallel in direction, the termsare not meant to be limiting. It should be further noted that althoughthe present invention is described in terms of first and second walls,the terms are not meant to be limiting. It should be further noted thatalthough the present invention is described using certain structuressuch as fasteners, however, any other types of means can be used toattach the walls.

The terms and expressions that have been employed in the foregoingspecification are used as terms of description and not of limitation,and are not intended to exclude equivalents of the features shown anddescribed. This application is intended to cover any adaptations orvariations of the present invention. It will be appreciated by those ofordinary skill in the art that any arrangement that is calculated toachieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodimentshown. It is also to be understood that the following claims areintended to cover all of the generic and specific features of theinvention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wall comprising: a plurality of metal studs; anacoustical insulation layer woven through the plurality of metal studs;a first inner wall panel adjacent to the acoustical insulation layer; asecond inner wall panel adjacent to the acoustical insulation layer on asurface opposite the first inner wall panel; a head section on a topportion of the plurality of metal studs, wherein the head portion has awidth narrower than a width between the first and second inner wallpanels; and a base section on a bottom portion of the plurality of metalstuds, wherein the base section has a width narrower than a distancebetween the first and second inner wall panels.
 2. The wall of claim 1,further comprising an L-shaped base support member configured to receivethe base section.
 3. The wall of claim 2, wherein the L-shaped basesupport member is configured to be coupled to a floor.
 4. The wall ofclaim 3, further comprising fire-resistant caulk between the floor andthe base section.
 5. The wall of claim 1, further comprising an L-shapedhead support member configured to receive the head section.
 6. The wallof claim 5, wherein the L-shaped head support member is configured to becoupled to a ceiling.
 7. The wall of claim 6, further comprising a padbetween the L-shaped head support member and the ceiling.
 8. The wall ofclaim 7, wherein the pad comprises neoprene.
 9. The wall of claim 6,further comprising a fire-sealant tape between the ceiling and theL-shaped head support member.
 10. The wall of claim 6, furthercomprising fire safing materials between the head section and theceiling.
 11. The wall of claim 5, wherein the head section is secured tothe L-shaped head support member by a horizontal support fastener. 12.The wall of claim 11, wherein the L-shaped head support member includesa slot configured to accept the horizontal support fastener and allowvertical movement of the horizontal fastener within the slot.
 13. Thewall of claim 1, wherein the first and second inner panels comprisemagnesium oxide board.
 14. A method of installing a demising wall, themethod comprising: securing a head section of a demising wall to anL-shaped head support member coupled to a ceiling at a desired locationof the demising wall; and securing a base section of the demising wallto an L-shaped base support member coupled to a floor at the desiredlocation of the demising wall.
 15. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising attaching a trim along the base section and head section ofthe demising wall, wherein the trim is configured to conceal theL-shaped head support member and the L-shaped base support member. 16.The method of claim 15, wherein the trim comprises aluminum.
 17. Themethod of claim 14, further comprising sealing with a caulk open spacesbetween the floor and the base section.
 18. The method of claim 14,further comprising filling a gap between the ceiling and the headportion with fire safing materials.
 19. The method of claim 14, whereinsecuring the head section to the L-shaped head support member comprisespassing a horizontal fastener through the L-shaped head support memberand at least partially through the head section and wherein securing thebase section to the L-shaped base support member comprises passing ahorizontal fastener through the L-shaped base support member and atleast partially through the base section.
 20. The method of claim 14,further comprising coupling a finished panel to a vertical surface ofthe demising wall.